Monday, October 25, 2010

(UPDATED) Illinois League of Women Voters Big Shot Who Bashed Pledge of Allegiance, Is Former ACORN Worker

It happened Wednesday night at the beginning of a debate between Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean, GOP challenger Joe Walsh and Green Party candidate Bill Scheurer. The debate for Illinois 8th congressional district took place at Grayslake Central High School. While League of Women Voters moderator Kathy Tate-Bradish began explaining the rules of the debate an audience member raised his hand and (when called upon) asked if they were going to start with the Pledge of Allegiance. When she said no, the audience booed and almost all in the crowd of more than 300 stood and enthusiastically recited it anyway. Tate-Bradish, who joined in the pledge, issued a scolding when the crowd finished saying they are not allowed to disrespect her.(If you cannot see videos below click here)

Ms Tate-Bradish took offense to the move and blamed it on the GOP candidate.

What seemed like a unanimous spontaneous show of Patriotism, gave Ms Tate-Bradish an opportunity to criticize the GOP Candidate in the press, saying that it was all the fault of the unruly republicans, the Executive director of the group echoed her sentiments. What the press didn't report that both the moderator and the Executive Director have been very active in the progressive movement.

Ms Tate-Bradish, the moderator was very involved in the Illinois effort to make Barak Obama president, she even hosted campaign events for Obama in her own home.

Illinois League of Women Voters Executive Director Jan Czarnik said what happened at the debate and subsequent criticism directed at moderator Kathy Tate-Bradish was an attempt by supporters of Republican candidate Joe Walsh and tea party members to bully the organization.

By all of the press reports almost all of the crowd stood up to cite the pledge, so is Czarnik saying that Democrats don't believe in reciting the pledge?

I am sure her criticism of Republicans and the Tea Party had absolutely nothing to do with the Fact she used to work for progressive mainstays such as ACORN's Project Vote, and the Progressive People for the American Way. Below is the notice of Ms Czarnik's hiring by the League.

“It's a phony patriotism issue is what it is,” she said. “They must think it helps their campaign.”

Walsh campaign manager Nick Provenzano said he still did not understand why Tate-Bradish did not appear to welcome the Pledge of Allegiance suggestion. He said it was spontaneous and not orchestrated by Walsh's campaign.

....Island Lake resident Joseph Ptak, a Walsh supporter, claimed Friday he asked for the pledge at the debate. Provenzano said he was not certain who made the request.

Ptak, 58, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said the pledge was a proper way to begin the event that was in a high school and had student participation. He said many veterans were in the audience, and he objects to Czarnik questioning the request's sincerity.

“I'm a Joe Walsh supporter, but first and foremost I'm an American,” Ptak said.

According to its website, the mission of the Illinois League of Woman Voters says that it is supposed to be non-partisan:

The League takes positions on issues, but neither supports nor opposes any political party or candidate (appointed or elected) for public office.

Judging by their backgrounds and their reaction to a spontaneous public display of patriotism, neither Jan Czarnik nor Kathy Tate-Bradish fit a reasonable definition of non-partisan.

STORY UPDATE: Found another video of the incident, which shows much more of the debate including the "don't disrespect me" line and the fact that Tate-Bradish did not seem to moderate fairly.

UPDATE #2: Just received this from Joe Ptak, the gentleman who asked for the Pledge:

My name is Joe Ptak and I live in Island Lake, Illinois. I attended the Joe Walsh-Melissa Bean “forum” and I WAS THE INDIVIDUAL who stood up and wanted to know why the pledge of allegiance was not going to be recited…I thought it might have been an oversight. I was flabbergasted and stunned to hear the LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS moderator say to me, and the audience, that it was never part of their program at these events and will not allowed.

Please keep in mind that this “forum” was organized in Grayslake High School for the benefit of the students, who were asking the questions. Furthermore, there were numerous students present (gaining extra credit) as well as 350 adults and media who packed the auditorium.

I served in the USAFR’s for ten (10) years and there were many veterans in attendance. I was so proud when the audience rose up one by one, then in mass to recite the pledge of allegiance with loud and heavy emphasis on the words LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. The moderator then had the gall to admonish the audience and for “disrespecting her”…my wife told me if that woman did not shut up she was going to get her “Brooklyn up” (being from NY).

I happen to be an Hispanic immigrant from Peru, South America, who was brought to this great country by my parents, along with three other siblings in 1960, when I was eight years old. I was raised in Chicago, have seen, and experienced a lot in this world. People are literary dying each day for just the OPPORTUNITY to live in this great land I call my home.

There are ignorant people in this land who do not have the slightest idea, nor understand, what it means to be an AMERICAN. Our Liberty, Freedom of Speech and the Press are never guaranteed and we must always fight to maintain them. I think our students in attendance witnessed that first hand and gained a lot of extra credit for themselves.

Update #3 What is it with Progressives and the Pledge of Allegiance?

Ed Morrissey of Hot Air found this little ditty, back in 2002 Minnesota’s Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who’s defending the seat against a strong challenge from Republican Teresa Collett in the 4th CD this year, was honored with leading the House in the Pledge. On the video McCollum intentionally stops talking when she got to the words "under God". Click Here to see this must watch video at Hot Air

Just as Rosa Parks started a chain of events that could not be stopped, this women and her supercilious ilk has pushed the pendulum from progressive to conservative at light speed.I expect to see this action repeated throughout the land. She roused the sleeping giant of conservatism that will not be soon lulled back to sleep.

League of Women Voters is hosting a debate between the candidates for NJ-9 tomorrow. Let's see if the same crap happens there. I'd go, but it's taking place at 1:45 PM, and like most of the non-Communist world I actually have a job that I need to be at until later in the day.

As far as many Americans are concerned, moderator Kathy Tate-Bradish can burn in Hell. Who would really stridently reject reciting The Pledge of Allegiance??? How 'bout a Liberal Democrat and ex-ACORN scumbag! Who worships Obama!﻿ I imagine Kathy Tate-Bradish fell in love with Obama that September day at Tom Harkin's Iowa Steak Fry when then-Sen. Barack Obama REFUSED to put his hand over where﻿ his heart should be during our National Anthem.http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1662530_1446035,00.htmlTwo peas in a pod: D is for Disgusting AND Despicable.

What is up with the selection of all these obviously liberal moderators for what are supposed to be neutral debates? Remember the '08 presidential debate with a moderator who was actually ready to release a book heralding Obama? Are we ever going to see a debate where the moderator is either truly nuetral or leans right?

I'm not sure how many people will read this, but I just wanted to talk about this from my perspective. I have been a League moderator for four years. We are all volunteers and spend time preparing for each debate (they all have slightly different rules depending on the sponsoring organization or local League), travelling to the site and the two hours or more at the debate. Our role is to make sure candidates each have equal opportunity to answer each question, to prevent personal attacks by the candidates and also the audience, and to make sure questions and answers address the issues, not personalities. Each question and answer is timed, and candidates get a 30-second warning; when time is up, they have to stop, even if they are in mid-sentence. It's not easy, but it's something we do to make sure the candidates are heard and the community learns what each has to say. I've never seen the pledge begin a debate -- usually it's in a library or auditorium which has no flag, but that's besides the point. I think what happened is that the moderator was flustered by the request, probably she might have been a little nervous and thought the audience question would have been about the rules. People aren't perfect and, as I said, we're all volunteers, trying to do something positive for the community. Community meetings, such as PTA forums, budget meetings, etc. rarely start with the pledge. I'm sure her patriotic feelings weren't relevant to her answer -- she was just trying to follow the rules. One more thing I'd like you all to know: each year every local League rotates at naturalization court. To all new citizens, we give out little flags, booklets about citizenship and urge them to register to vote, which they can do outside the courtroom. During the ceremony, when everyone has taken the oath, we all stand and recite the pledge. It's very moving. The judge usually calls a League member and asks her (or him) to lead the pledge. I came here when I was two, and was naturalized in third grade. It's so special and emotional for me when I am called upon to lead the Pledge at those times. You wouldn't believe how meaningful EACH word can be -- and I've written about it in my local paper and always try to tell people about this experience. So, don't be angry at the moderator in Illinois and be grateful there is a League of Women Voters. We try hard to make the elections "fair and balanced" and help the community become more involved in the democratic process.

This is really ludicrous. My father was career military. When we went to movies at the base theatre, we had to stand while the national anthem played prior to the movie. I'm as patriotic as they come, but the anthem before a movie? Not every civic event requires a show of patriotism.